Austrian Linzer Torte

For ➑ portions

75 g blanched almonds 

75 g blanched hazelnuts 

250 g plain flour 

225 g butter 

130 g light brown sugar 

1 egg 1 tsp cinnamon 

⅛ ts cloves 

¼ ts salt 

zest of 1 lemon 

280 g redcurrant jam* 

1 egg yolk 

almond flakes for decoration 

 

Grind the almonds and hazelnuts and place in a bowl. Add the flour, salt, cloves, cinnamon, lemon zest, light brown sugar and butter. Use a pastry cutter/blender or two knives to cut the butter into the remaining ingredients until crumbly. Then add the egg. 

Knead into a dough with your hands. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in cling film and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 30 m. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Take ⅔ of the dough and press it into a 26 cm baking tin. Make sure the bottom is completely covered with dough with a thick edge of 1 cm thick. Add the jam, make sure the entire bottom of the tart is covered with jam. 

Cut the rest of the dough into strips. Place the strips on the tart and make a nice lattice pattern on it. Brush the dough with egg yolk. Decorate the Linzer Torte with some almond shavings and bake it in the oven for 45-60 m. 

* (or raspberry jam)

♥︎Quick muesli bread

For ➓ portions

50 g oatmeal flakes

2 tbs oatmeal flakes for decoration

30 cl (oat) milk

240 g spelt flour

1½ ts baking powder

1 ts cinnamon

3 tbs honey or apple syrup

1 egg, beaten

125 g currants and/or raisins

50 g dried apricots

5 tbs coarsely chopped almonds (or several types of nuts)

a ​​little bit of butter for the tin

bread / cake tin 9 x 21cm

Put the oatmeal in a bowl and pour the milk over it and let it rest for 30 m.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Grease a cake tin with a little butter and place a small sheet of baking paper on the bottom.

After 30 m, add all the other ingredients to the bowl.

Stir everything together with a fork or mix in a food processor on low speed. Add the dry ingredients last and mix for another 30 s.

Spoon the mixture into the tin and smooth the top and sprinkle with 2 tbsp oatmeal.

Bake the muesli bread for 45 m or until well done and brown on top.

Let the bread cool slightly in the tin, then turn the bread out onto a rack, remove the baking paper and let the bread cool completely.

Keeps for 4-5 days.

Couscous with halloumi & fried red pepper

For ➍

4 red peppers, cut into strips

335 g whole grain couscous

40 g raisins

40 g almonds, roughly chopped

2 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped

20 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 limes

250 g halloumi, cut into 1-2 cm cubes

125 g fat yogurt

70 cl vegetable stock

3 tbs olive oil

4 tbs extra virgin olive oil

pepper & salt

Grate the zest of the lime. Squeeze the lime.

In a salad bowl, mix the couscous and raisins with the stock and allow to soak, covered, for 10 m. Then stir with a fork.

Heat ½ of the olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the pepper strips 7 - 9 m. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in another frying pan over medium heat and fry the lime zest and garlic for 30 s.

Add the cubes of halloumi, fry for 3 - 4 m until crispy. Then remove them from the pan.

Fry the soaked couscous 1 - 2 m in the same pan in the lime-garlic oil.

Mix the coriander with the couscous and season with the extra virgin olive oil, pepper and salt.

Divide the couscous over the plates and scoop the bell pepper strips on the side. Drizzle the couscous with the lime juice and garnish with the halloumi and almonds. Serve the yogurt separately, so that everyone can add it to their own taste.

Almond & banana bread

For ➓ servings

1 tbs coconut oil

3 eggs

120 g almond flour

2 ripe bananas *

1 tbs baking powder

1 tbs cinnamon

1 pinch sea salt

50 g almonds, roughly chopped

3 tbs raisins (or dried cranberries, blueberries ...)

2 tbs almond flakes

Preheat the oven to 180 ° C.

Mix the eggs with the almond flour, bananas, baking powder, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and melted coconut oil in a blender or food processor.

Drain the batter from the blender / food processor, add the nuts and raisins (or dried cranberries) and mix well with a spoon.

Grease the cake tin (or use a silicone baking tin). Put everything in the cake tin, sprinkle the almonds on top and bake about 40 m in the preheated oven. Prick the bun with a wedge to see if it is cooked. The wedge must be dry. If the bun becomes too dark, cover it with baking paper.

* Replace if necessary. 1 banana by 3 tbs apple sauce

Cod with parsnip mash

For ➍
600 g cod fillets (when frozen, thaw for 20 m & pat dry)
500 g parsnips, cut into pieces
500 g oyster mushrooms, torn
juice ½ lemon
1 box of garden cress, picked
2 cloves garlic, chopped
50 g pecorino, grated
3 dl of milk
2 tbs butter
50 g almond flakes
black pepper & salt

Season fish with black pepper and salt.
Boil the pieces of parsnip and half of the garlic for 15 m in the milk. Drain.
Meanwhile, melt 1 tbs butter in a pan and fry the oyster mushrooms together with the rest of the garlic until golden brown. Season with black pepper and salt.
Meanwhile, toast the almond flakes in a non-stick pan with no fat. Remove from the pan.
Melt 1 tbs butter in the same pan and fry the fish on both sides for 3 to 4 m golden brown.
Mix the parsnip and season with black pepper and salt. Add the lemon juice and the grated pecorino.
Spread the parsnip mash over the plates and put the oyster mushrooms and fried cod on top. Sprinkle with the toasted almond flakes and finish with some cress. Serve with boiled potatoes or croquettes.

Flourless chocolate & almonds cake

For ➏-➑
115 g bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
6 tbs (85 g) butter
85 g sugar
85 g powdered almond, (ground almonds or almond meal)
1 tbs brewed espresso
1 tbs rum
3 eggs, separated

Preheat oven to 145°C. Line the bottom of a spring form cake pan or a tart pan with a removable base, with parchment paper and butter the sides.
Put the chocolate and the butter in a bowl and melt over barely simmering water. Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, almond powder, rum and coffee until smooth. When the mixture has cooled, mix in the egg yolks, one by one.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then fold them into the chocolate batter. Pour into the prepared mold and place in the oven for 45 m.
Allow to cool in the cake pan before unmolding. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar before serving.

Torrone molle (Italian chocolate noga)

For ➏-➑
175 g butter
175 g cocoa powder
175 g ground almonds
175 g sugar
1 whole egg & 1 yolk
175 g plain biscuits such as Petit Beurre (from supermarkets), cut into almond-sized pieces
oil, for the tin

Work the butter and cocoa together in a bowl until you have a soft paste, then stir in the ground almonds. Melt the sugar with a little water in a pan over a gentle heat and add it to the cocoa mixture. Stir in the egg and yolk, then the biscuits.
Do this gently so the biscuits do not crumble. Place in an oiled mould (such as a loaf tin or another cake tin with a removable base) and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Turn out onto a dish to serve.

Omani lamb & date stew

For ➍
1-2 ts crushed red pepper
1 ts ground turmeric
1 ts ground ginger
1 ts ground cinnamon
½ ts salt
1 kg boneless leg of lamb (or beef or camel meat),  cut into 2.5 cm pieces (or double weight with bones)
2 tbs olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
8 dl beef bouillon
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs cold water
225 g pitted dates (soaked in 5 dl water overnight, then mashed by hand or in a food processor*).
cooked white rice
30 g toasted slivered almonds*

In a mixing bowl combine the spices and salt. Coat the meat with the seasoning mixture. In a large, heavy skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat, in the hot oil. Add onions and garlic, and stir to combine. Pour the broth over all.
Bring to a boil. Then, cover and simmer on the lowest heat for a couple of hours or till the meat is tender. Skim fat from the surface of the juices. Stir cornstarch into the cold water. Add to meat in the pan and stir.
Add the dates, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer another 15 m or till mixture is slightly thickened and bubbly.
Serve hot over white rice and garnish with toasted almonds.

*Optional.

Trapani couscous

For ➍
300 g couscous
1½ tablet fish broth
500 g prawns raw & unpeeled (thawed)
190 g toasted almonds
15 g coriander
20 g flat leaf parsley
10 cl extra virgin olive oil
250 g cherry tomatoes on the branch
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 onions, cut into half rings

Put the couscous in a large bowl. Dissolve 1 broth tablet in 35 cl of boiling water. Pour over the couscous and stir. Leave covered for 10 m. Stand.
Meanwhile peel the prawns, saving the tails. With a sharp knife remove the gut.
Put the almonds, coriander, parsley and oil in a high cup and puree with a hand blender until pesto.
Stir in the couscous with a fork. Keep 2 tbs almond pesto apart and mix the rest with the couscous. Season with pepper and a little salt. Place the tomatoes on the stem on top*.
Heat 1 tbs pesto in a frying pan and fry the garlic for 1 m. Add the onion and cook for 4 m. Add 25 cl of boiling water and ½ tablet of stock. Bring to the boil and simmer 2 minutes. Simmer.
Add the shrimp to the sauce and simmer for 5 m or until done.
Put the sauce in a bowl and toss the rest of the pesto through. Serve with couscous.

*Or add to the pesto.

The Sicilian town of Trapani was founded bij Greek colonists, conquered by Phoenicians, Carthago and Rome. Under Muslim rule, it became an important port for the sale of salt. It is still very close to Africa and continues the culinary traditions. The pesto is adapted from Genuese sailors, coming to Sicily, using local products as tomatoes and almonds.

Pesto alla Trapanese (Sicilian almonds & tomato pesto) (pesto rosso)

For ➍
190 g toasted almonds
15 g coriander*
20 g flat leaf parsley*
10 cl extra virgin olive oil
250 g cherry tomatoes

Put the almonds, coriander, parsley and oil in a high cup and puree with a hand blender until pesto. Add the tomatoes, or serve on the dish.
Serve with couscous or with pasta like penne or farfalle.

*Or 35 g basil

Skordalia (Greek potato mash)

For ➍
500 g floury potatoes, washed but not peeled
2 cloves of garlic
14 cl olive oil (1 cl extra for serving)
juice of a small lemon
salt & pepper
80 g finely crushed toasted flaked almonds or walnuts to sprinkle on top or some olives

Boil the potatoes with their skins on in plenty of salted water. Once cooked, drain and, when cool enough to handle, peel them from their skin.
Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste. Push the potatoes through a sieve, mouli or a potato ricer and add the garlic paste. [Skordalia must be absolutely smooth – use a potato ricer to mash the potatoes or push the cooked potato through a sieve with the back of a spoon.]
Beat in the oil and lemon juice into the potato mix. Check the mix for salt and pepper.
If the skordalia is a bit too thick (it should be the consistency of hummus) thin with a bit of hot water.
If using the nuts, spread the skordalia onto a plate or bowl and sprinkle the nuts on top.
Add the extra trickle of olive oil to serve.
Serve with grilled meats. or as dip sauce. Or as a spread on fresh bread.

The Roux mystery: Mayan hot chocolate

For ➋
50 cl boiling water
1 chilli pepper, cut in half, seeds removed
125 cl light cream (or non-skimmed milk)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 to 2 cinnamon sticks
250 g bittersweet chocolate, crushed
2 tbs sugar (or honey)
1 tbs ground almonds
whipped cream*

Boil water in a large saucepan. Add pepper and cook until reduced to 25 cl. Remove pepper. Strain water.
In a saucepan heat cream over medium heat. Add vanilla bean and cinnamon stick. When bubbling, lower the heat. Add chocolate and sugar. Whisk until melted. Take of heat. Remove vanilla bean and cinnamon. Add chilli flavoured water to taste.
Serve in small cups, with (crushed) almonds or hazelnuts and a dot of whipped cream.

*Optional.
**Replace half of the cream with strong coffee to change the taste to mocha.

When the gypsy Roux, played by Johnny Depp, receives his favourite kind of chocolate from Juliette Binoche in 'Chocolat', it's a kind of chocolat chaud, reminiscent of the original Maya chocolate drink. This brew was suggested at What's Cooking.

Shahi ghost korma (braised lamb with yogurt)

For ➋
400 g lamb shoulder piece, boned & cubed
10-15 cl yogurt
1 ts cumin
1 ts coriander
1 ts red pepper
pinch of pepper
2 ts almond powder
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 cardamom seeds
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
10-20 cl of fresh cream
saffron
olive oil

Place the lamb in a bowl with the yogurt, cumin, coriander, red pepper, pepper and almonds. Mix well and refrigerate for about 1 h.

Once the meat is marinated, pour a little oil in a saucepan and add onion, cloves and cardamom. Fry everything.

Then add meat and marinade. Then add the cinnamon and garlic.

Cover and cook for 1 h.

Once the meat is cooked, add cream and saffron.

Reduce the sauce, uncovered, till thick.

Serve with basmati rice with some sliced almonds. Sprinkle korma with some sliced almonds.

'Korma' means 'braising' in Hindi and Urdu. The technique was developed in the 16th century with the introduction of Mughlai kitchen, close to Persian and Turkish cuisines, in the Mughal empires in Northern India. Despite the varying flavouring of different korma, it should always be made with with yogurt of some sort. Today, in Europe or UK, it is sometimes reduced to a creamy version of a curry, with chicken korma as the signature dish.
Yogurt, fermented milk, has been used since 3000 BC, and has been a main staple of Arab, Turkish and Central Asian cuisine. Use stirred yogurt for cooking. Or strained 'Greek' yogurt.
This is a quick and easy version of Indian korma. Traditionally, it would be made with ghee instead of oil.

Cordero Moruno (Spanish Moorish lamb)

For ➍
1 kg lamb shoulder or leg, boneless, or 2.5 kg with bone
1 ts cinnamon
1 ts ground cumin
½ ts salt
¼ ts pepper
3-4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 yellow onions
2 cloves garlic
75-125 cl chicken stock
45 g (4 tbs) raisins
8 cl (5 tbs) sherry
2 tbs almonds

Pat lamb dry. Combine cinnamon, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub spice mixture on all sides of lamb. Set aside.

Peel and chop onions and garlic. Pour olive oil into a large heavy-bottomed frying pan and heat on medium. When oil is hot, sauté the onions and garlic until onions are translucent.

Place lamb in pan and brown on both sides. Once meat is browned, add 50-75 cl of stock to cover meat. Cover pan and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook slowly for 1 to 1.5 h. Check every 15 m, adding more liquid as necessary. When done, meat should be cooked through and tender.

While lamb is cooking, pour sherry into a small bowl and soak the raisins. Coarsely grind the almonds.

About 15 m before cooking is complete, add the sherry, raisins and almonds to the pan.

When lamb is ready, slice. Serve with sauce and white rice or couscous.

Torta (di cioccolato) Caprese (Capri chocolate cake)

For ➓
150 g unsalted butter, room temperature
200 g bitter chocolate
100 g whole almonds, toasted
2 tbs/15 g all purpose flour
4 large eggs, separated @ room temperature
150 g sugar
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Butter a 20 cm cake pan and line with a circle of parchment paper.
Melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl over a bain-marie. Set aside and let cool.
Grind the almonds together with the flour in a food processor until fine.
Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a stand mixer until light colored and fluffy, about 3 to 4 m.
Scrape yolk and sugar mixture into a large mixture. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture carefully.
Add in the almond flour and fold in carefully just until combined.
In a clean stand mixer bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks. Carefully scrape them over the batter and fold in gently.
Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake in oven for about 35 to 40 m, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool on rack, then invert onto a plate and remove parchment. Invert cake back onto a serving plate.
Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.*

*Refrigerate overnight for a softer taste. It will be good for a few days. Always serve at room temperature.

This moist almond chocolate cake was conceived in the 1930's by the Austrian heirs of the painter August Weber at the Strandpension Weber at Marina Piccola at the Italian isle of Capri, and is more Austrian than Italian. Capri was a popular place for European painters. Picture shows a fragment of a 1862 painting by Hungarian painter Antal Ligeti.

Salsa romesco (sauce)

For 50 cl*
12 blanched almonds or almond slivers
10-12 hazelnuts
1 head garlic
1 slice stale bread
2 ripe medium size tomatoes, or 1 large tomato
2 large roasted red peppers, well-drained
20 cl extra virgin olive oil
10 cl red wine or sherry vinegar
¼ ts red pepper flakes or small hot pepper (optional)

Rub off excess dry skin from garlic head. Put on baking sheet and drizzle a bit of olive oil on top. Roast in oven for 20 m at 150°C or until garlic on inside is roasted and soft.

Place almonds and hazelnuts into food processor and process until finely ground.

Pour a few tbs of virgin olive oil into a small frying pan. Quickly fry bread until both sides are browned. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a plate.

Cut tomatoes into quarters and sauté in same pan, adding oil if needed. Sauté for 4-5 m. Remove pan from heat.

Once bread is cooled, tear into 6 pieces and process with the nuts. Add sautéed tomatoes and continue to process. Squeeze roasted garlic from the skins into the processor. Place roasted red peppers into the processor with the other ingredients and process until ingredients are a thick puree.

While processor is running, slowly drizzle in the oil and vinegar. Add salt to taste.

Serve with meat, fish, poultry or vegetables. Or on a slice of good bread.

*Store in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Romesco sauce originates from Tarragona, Catalonia in Spain. It was originally pounded in a mortar, like Italian pesto, and French rouille and tapenade. It is said that the fishermen of the area made it to eat with fish. Some say its origins are Roman, from the time that Tarragona was a provincial capital of the empire. Others credit the Moors: 'rumiskal', meaning to mix, from the Moorish era in Spain, may point to Arab origins for the sauce.
Try a quick version of romesco.

Lettuce & almond salad

For ➍
handful roasted & salted almonds
crisp curly lettuce
2 oranges, quartered*
sugar
dressing:
2 tbs butter, melted
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
lemon juice

Melt the butter with the garlic. Set aside to cool. Add a squeeze of lemon juice.

In the bottom of the salad bowl put the quarters* of two oranges.

On top of the oranges put the lettuce, then a few roasted, salted almonds. Sprinkle with a very little sugar.

Mix the orange, lettuce and almonds together with the dressing.

Serve on its own or with roasted or boiled chicken.

*To prepare oranges for salad, cut them in half lengthwise, then into quarters. Cut the pulp from the skin with a sharp knife.

Read more Elizabeth David recipes: roasted peppers, chicken & rice salad, fish parcel, poaching an egg.

Rijsttaart (Belgian rice tart)

For ➑
flaky pie crust dough (pâte brisée) or pâte levée*
75 cl milk
100 g (dessert) rice
75 g sugar (with 2 small bags of vanilla sugar when vanilla bean is not available)
vanilla bean
10 g butter
2 eggs
100 g almonds**
saffron***
powder sugar

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the rice and mix. Scrape the vanilla bean. Add with the sugar and milk, and stir well. Slowly simmer over low heat until the milk is almost completely absorbed. Remove from heat. Butter a pie form. Line the pan with the dough.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Mix the almond powder and the 2 eggs with the rice. (Add saffron for a yellow colour.***) Pour the rice into the shape, and bake for 30 to 40 m.
When cold, sprinkle the tart with powder sugar and serve.

*Or the crustier pâte feuilleté. You could use ready-made dough.
**Replace the almonds with crushed macarons for the Verviers version. (Belgian macaroons differ from the colourful French, being a nutty cookie, it is a speciality of Verviers.)
***Optional.

Rijsttaart or tarte au riz is a traditional Belgian tart, always made with a rice & milk mixture and some dough (a pâte brisée, or a pâte feuilletée, puff pastry dough, will do).
The base is the sweet rice & milk mixture, already known in Baghdad, and probably brought to the Low Lands by the Spanish in the 16th century. The rather firm rice pudding features on the 1567 Pieter Brueghel painting of a wedding as a not very common treat, with expensive products such as saffron, rice and sugar. In popular lore, heaven was depicted as a place where one would eat rice pudding every day. The rice pie was probably invented by bakers as an easier to handle variant to the rice pudding in plates. It was called 'blanke doreye', meaning 'gilded white', as the pie turned golden in the oven, with the rice being white. 'Doreye' is still the name of the Liège and the Verviers rice pies.

Read the related 'witte rijstpap' (white rice pudding) recipe.

Japanese cabbage salad

For ➍
1 tbs sesame oil
1 tbs rice vinegar
⅓ clove garlic, minced*
⅓ ts grated fresh ginger root*
⅓ tbs white sugar*
⅓ ts salt
⅓ ts black pepper
¼ large white cabbage, cored & shredded**
4-5 green onions, thinly sliced
30 g almond slivers
10 g toasted sesame seeds

Whisk together sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

Toss the cabbage, green onions, almonds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl with the dressing until well coated.

Serve with ginger pork for instance.

*Optional
**Put the cabbage in the refrigerator to make it crisp for cutting. Use Chinese cabbage, paksoy or rucola instead.

Ajo blanco (Malaga cold soup)

For ➍
200 g almonds
75 cl iced water
4-5 slices stale white bread with crusts removed, soaked in water
4 garlic cloves
1 ts salt
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
3 tbs sherry vinegar
ground white pepper
grapes

Drop the almonds in cooking water, leave for a few m. Dry them and rub off their skin.

In a food processor, grind almonds as finely as possible. Add 10 cl of the water, then squeeze the bread and add to the almonds with the garlic.

With the machine running, add more water, the olive oil and the vinegar.

Chill for 5 h, and serve with halved, seedless white grapes.

A favourite of Malaga, this dish seems to date back to the Moorish times in Spain. It is related to gazpacho and the modern, less garlicky, versions of white gazpacho.